Strategy and governance

What is Success for All?

Success for All is a major strand of our Education Strategy which aims to help deliver the University’s ambitions in building a diverse, welcoming and inclusive learning community where everyone is supported to realise their potential. 

Headed by our DVC Education, Professor Tim Quine, Success for All aims to widen participation, close gaps in student outcomes and build an inclusive university culture across all levels of study. It delivers against a number of key strategic measures identified within our sovereign strategies - particular our Education Strategy and Access and Participation Plan – via a single Success for All Plan and joint governance structure aligned with our equality, diversity and inclusion vision and the work of the Provost Commission.

Involving academic and professional services staff and students from across the University, work streams focus on key areas of the student journey to address gaps in outcomes between different student groups and support an inclusive learning environment. A number of working groups have been created, under the structure detailed below, all report to the Success for All Strategy Group chaired by Professor Tim Qu‌ine, Deputy Vice Chancellor Education.

 

 

Group  Focus Chair
Success for All Strategy Group
  • Strategic direction and alignment
  • Regulatory and policy matters
Professor Tim Quine DVC Education

 

 

A number of working groups focus on specific areas of the student journey. 

 

Group 

Focus

Chair

Access Working Group

  • Supporting the attainment of school pupils through educational partnerships, teaching enrichment and initiatives like Study Buddies
  • Working regionally to build capacity and support social mobility e.g through research, regional skills collaborations and our UniConnect partnerships
  • Widening and diversifying our applicant pool e.g. targeted recruitment and progression support; programme development; contextual offers and admissions support
  • Encouraging and supporting underrepresented students to progress to HE e.g. through our fair access schemes like Exeter Scholars, online outreach via Discover University
  • Working extensively with pupils, teachers and schools providing advice, guidance, teaching enrichment, skills support and CPD

Nicola Sinclair, Head of WP and UK Student Recruitment

Transition and Induction Working Group

  • Developing a university-wide framework for transition and induction
  • Providing academic, wellbeing and practical support for widening participation students joining the university via enhanced transition
  • Specialist support for students with disabilities before they start their studies
  • Additional information and support for students in response to Covid

Professor Alison Truelove, Associate Professor in Critical Practice, Lead Academic Tutor and Director of the Centre for Innovation in Business Education

Success and Inclusive Education Working Group

  • Embedding inclusive education within our policies and procedures
  • Developing strategies to address gaps in retention and degree outcomes
  • Development of good practice toolkits to help academics embed inclusive practice e.g Education Toolkit
  • Supporting personal tutors and making improvements to our academic tutoring system
  • Creating Inclusive Education champions within Colleges to provide specialist student support
  • Developing approaches to embed inclusive programme and module design
  • Supporting anti-racist pedagogies and sharing good practice on decolonial and inclusive curricula

Dr Vrinda Nayak, Associate Academic Dean for Race Equality and Inclusive Education

Progression Working Group

  • Addressing gaps in graduate outcomes particularly students on low household incomes
  • Creating employability and networking opportunities for widening participation students through a variety of schemes such A2I and Professional Pathways
  • Providing bespoke employability consultancy for key student groups
  • Opening opportunities for international and/or field experience for all students

Paul Blackmore, Head of Student Employability and Academic Success

 

Group

Focus

Chair

Student Finance working group

  • Developing and evaluating effective funding and bursary support
  • Creation of the Success for All Fund – a one-stop shop for accessible hardship and bursary support and self-help tools
  • Emergency financial assistance scheme in response to Covid
  • Evaluating efficacy of Access to Exeter Bursary and recommending improvements
  • Facilitating join up and signposting for students needing financial help with other wellbeing and support services when needed and vice versa
Nicola Sinclair, Head of WP and UK Student Recruitment

Under-represented Students working group

  • Consultation and research to understand the needs of specific student groups
  • Development of policies and support e.g. for estranged students, student carers and care leavers
  • Adoption of best practice frameworks e.g. Care Leavers’ Covenant, Stand Alone Pledge, NECL Quality Mark etc.

Natalie Bracher, Access and Participation Officer

Diversity in Postgraduate Education working group

  • Research and analysis to understand barriers to access and success in postgraduate study
  • Policy and intervention development to better support widening participation at PG level

Oli Young and Hilary Stevens

International Student Experience working group

  • To understand the international student experience at the University of Exeter by utilising data, research and evidence from the perspective of these students.
  • Addressing themes, gaps and persistent challenges which mean that international students are not able to reach their full potential in their studies with us.
  • Enabling an inclusive university culture as part of our Success for All plan as well as our ambitions to create a global culture and broaden international partnerships across our research and education as part of our Global Strategy.   

James Hutchinson